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Memorable Moments

Did You Know?

There
are two women on the Chinese short-track team with the name Yang Yang. To
distinguish them, one goes by Yang Yang (A), while the other goes by Yang
Yang (S).

Short Track

It's been called
the demolition derby of the Olympics. In short-track speed skating, competitors
squeeze into a tight oval track measuring just 111 m (364 ft) around. At full
speed, they jockey for position and often bump one another. Spills are frequent
and sometimes nasty.

Though short-track speed skating dates back to
the late 1800s, the sport didn't become an officially recognized Olympic event
until the 1992 Albertville Games.

The competition consisted of four events in 1992, but was expanded to eight
in 2002:

500 meters (men's and women's)

1,000 meters (men's and women's)

1,500 meters (men's and women's)

3,000 meter relay (women's)

5,000 meter relay (men's)

In the 500- and 1,000-meter events, four skaters are on the track
for each heat, while in the 1,500-meter event there are six skaters on the
ice. The thrilling speed skating relay events, unlike running relays, do not
involve handing off batons. Instead the athletes are simply given a push by
their teammates when it's time to skate.

China, Korea, and Canada
each took home two golds in 2002 at Salt Lake City. The U.S. had Apolo Anton
Ohno taking home the 1,500 m gold and 1,000 m silver and Rusty Smith skating
to a 500 m bronze. Both are hoping to go for medals in Torino. Allison Baver
looks good for the American women.

Long Track

Heiden and Blair are the two most decorated
American winter Olympians of all time, Heiden with five golds (all from
the 1980 Lake Placid Games) and Blair with
five golds and a bronze. And while Jansen may have just one medal to his credit,
few could forget his world-record-setting, gold-medal performance in the 1,000-meters
in 1998, after falling twice in 1992 on the same day his sister died, then
again failing to medal in 1994.

Though speed skating can be traced back to England in the mid-1700s,
the Netherlands is widely considered the
sport's birthplace.

The U.S. took home eight medals in Salt Lake City,
including gold for Chris Witty in the women's 1,000 m, Derek Parra in the
men's 1,500 m (he also took the 5,000 m silver), and Casey FitzRandolph in
the men's 500 m. Other medal winners included Jennifer Rodriguez (two bronzes),
Joey Cheek (one bronze), and Kip Carpenter (one bronze).

Late in 2005,
two Americans set world records: Chad Hedrick in the 1,500 m and the 10,000
m and Shani Davis in the 1,000 m.

Since 1998, when the
"clap" skate was officially approved for Olympic competition, speed records
have been set at . . . well . . . a record pace. The skate is a technological
breakthrough in which the blade actually detaches from the heel of the skate,
allowing for it to stay on the ice longer.